It was cloudy and low visibility when we looked out of the window and across the lake (forgot to mention that our accommodation in Rotorua has a garden running right down to the lake. Not wanting to get wet yet again we decided to visit the museum. Once more we joined a tour and learnt some very interesting facts. The museum had started off as a Bath House and patients and paying customers would go there to be immersed in a bath full of mud which was said to be very good for rheumatism, arthritis and skin conditions. It was the dream of a balneologist, Dr Wohlmann, who envisaged a much grander building. It opened in 1908 and closed in 1966 when all treatments were transferred to the local hospital. It was then turned into an up market entertainment centre, a restaurant and then a night club. Fortunately, it was taken back by the local council and turned into a museum in the 1990's. Unfortunately much of the 'history' and artefacts was destroyed. We spent a good deal of the day in the museum, going into the basement and up to a viewing tower on the roof and exploring the gardens and more steaming pits.
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